Where do you find the kinds of cornerstone player around whom you can build a Stanley Cup contender? This is a matter of no small importance to Ken Holland and the Detroit Red Wings, who seem to have entered the phase that many teams enter in which they tread water on the edge of the playoffs before sinking beneath the waves, not to be seen for a decade.

A personal aside: the launch of The Athletic Detroit has had me digging more deeply into the Red Wings. The parallels between the Red Wings and the Edmonton Oilers circa 2007 (once upon a time, my favorite team) are amazing. Both organizations came off good times that suffered a rough season and didn’t want to plunge into a rebuild. Both had prospects/young players who aren’t guys you build a contender around. Both had Shawn Horcoff involved. Weird.

Every NHL organization has its own peculiar history that is both a blessing and a curse. Detroit’s been blessed with a great hockey team for 25 years,...